Britain's first black schoolteacher gets plaque

A commemorative plaque has been unveiled at Dr Samuel Johnson's London townhouse in honour of Francis Barber, Britain's first known black schoolteacher.

Barber was the servant, friend, and heir of the renowned 18th Century lexicographer.

The ceremony at Gough Square off Fleet Street also marked the launch of a redesigned and more inclusive City of London Blue Plaques Scheme.

The unveiling coincided with the 150th anniversary of the City's oldest plaque - which was dedicated to Johnson at the same site.

Barber, who was born into slavery on a Jamaican plantation, came to London as a child and lived at the townhouse from 1752 to 1756.

Johnson, who compiled A Dictionary of the English Language, supported Barber and his family throughout his life and named him the sole beneficiary and heir of a trust established in his will.

The Gough Square townhouse is believed to be the only surviving property in the City that was home to a formerly enslaved person who later lived there as a free man.

Following his time in London, Barber later established a career as a schoolteacher near Lichfield in Staffordshire, the cathedral city where Johnson grew up.

The City of London Corporation said its new plaque scheme had been redesigned to "provide a modern, transparent, and inclusive process".

A new online application form has been created, alongside an advisory panel of experts to assess applications.

Brendan Barns, chair of the City of London Corporation's Culture, Heritage, and Libraries Committee, said the scheme demonstrated a "renewed commitment to commemorating remarkable people, places, and institutions that have shaped the Square Mile".

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